Featured Shows

Weekday

Weekend

Those who see slavery as ‘a blessing in disguise’

10/09/12 09:25 AMUpdated 08/22/13 04:45 PM

Arkansas state Rep. Jon Hubbard (R)

Associated Press

Arkansas state Rep. Jon Hubbard (R) thought it’d be a good idea to pull together a series of letters to the editor he’s written, and then compile them in a book called “Confessions of a Frustrated Conservative.” I think it’s fair to say he failed to think this through.

Excerpts of Hubbard’s book have started to make the rounds, offering the public a chance to learn exactly what it is that’s “frustrated” this particular “conservative.” For example, the Republican apparently believes slavery has received a bad rap.

“… the institution of slavery that the black race has long believed to be an abomination upon its people may actually have been a blessing in disguise. The blacks who could endure those conditions and circumstances would someday be rewarded with citizenship in the greatest nation ever established upon the face of the Earth.” (Pages 183-89)

African Americans must “understand that even while in the throes of slavery, their lives as Americans are likely much better than they ever would have enjoyed living in sub-Saharan Africa.”

“Knowing what we know today about life on the African continent, would an existence spent in slavery have been any crueler than a life spent in sub-Saharan Africa?” (Pages 93 and 189)

Hubbard’s book goes to say, among other things, school integration has been a mistake because black students have corrupted white students.

And as it turns out, Hubbard’s colleague, Arkansas state Rep. Loy Mauch (R) has also written a series of letters to the editor, some of which also defended slavery. This is the same Mauch who “helped organize a 2004 conference calling for the removal of an Abraham Lincoln statue in Hot Springs, which included a keynote speech entitled ‘Homage to John Wilkes Booth.’”

Arkansas GOP officials “tried to distance themselves” from the two state lawmakers over the weekend, but it’s probably fair to say the Republican outreach effort to minority communities has suffered another setback.